Biblical Hebrew Forum

["David Stabnow" <dstabno AT lifeway.com>]

(First, please advise me of the standard transliteration used on this site.
I seem to have lost the chart. I am inquiring into the meaning of
tsade-vav-heh but can't guess what character might stand for tsade.)

When is a command not a command? In Num 34:2 God instructs Moses to
"command" the Israelites, "This is the land, according to its borders ..."
In what way is that a command? Perhaps the content of the list that follows
is a command: "Make your border go from point A to point B." (This would
explain the use of imperfects and "converted" perfects.)

Num 34:13 is similar. Moses "commands" Israel, "This is the land which you
will apportion." Again the sentence is indicative. Perhaps there is a
skewing of surface structure and deep structure here: the indicative main
clause "this is the land" is followed by a relative clause which contains
the command, "which you must apportion."

Are there any clear cases where what is referred to as a "command" has no
imperative nuance?

Dave Stabnow